This invention relates to display means and more particularly to a frame structure and method that uses neon lighting to illuminate and enhance artwork such as photographs and similar items representing artistic creativity.
Illuminated display means, such as art boxes, billboards and other frame structures, are common in the prior art, but most such structures use light generated from incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. Unfortunately, light generated from the latter sources is generally uniform and not sufficiently intense to enhance a display or selected portions thereof, whether the display be a painting, lithograph, poster or photograph.
On the other hand, neon light is more intense than incandescent or fluorescent light, and the neon tubes can be shaped by the use of concentrated heat to desired configurations. By the utilization of different colors, selected portions of the artwork can be emphasized in a most attractive manner.
The prior patented and commercialized art contains display boxes, but none having a similar structure and using neon lights. For instance, Great Britain Patent No. 2,183,387 by Kaisha, dated Jun. 3, 1987, teaches a display light box that illuminates artwork which uses fluorescent lighting and has a different structure than the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,407 by Lamb, dated Jan. 29, 1980, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,211 by Pratt, dated Jun. 23, 1987, shows a lighted display box for displaying stained glass, but neither of these use neon lights.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,125 by Rappaport, dated Apr. 14, 1981, teaches an illuminated display box for transparencies which does not use neon. U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,792 by Mabrey, et al, dated Jan. 2, 1973, teaches an illuminated display cabinet for a building directory. U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,170 by Pedersen, et al, dated Jan. 3, 1989, teaches a display unit for refractive letters which results in a 3-dimensional effect. French Patent No. 2,335,899 published in July 1977 teaches an illuminated box for the public display of posters, but it does not use neon lights. U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,821 by McNeil, Jan. 6, 1981, teaches a lighted display box for inserting pictorials. U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,492, by Rush, dated Aug. 4, 1992, teaches the creation of unusual visual effects by a light display consisting of a neon light tube mounted between two transparent sheets and a box, but this patent involves a significantly different purpose and different structure from the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,765 by Vargish II, dated Aug. 24, 1993, teaches a neon tube containing a sign for display within the tube, but it is concerned with flash rate, and has a significantly different structure than the present invention.
The Allison Patent No. 1,939,288 entitled "Indirect Luminous Tube Illumination," which issued Dec. 12, 1933, teaches a display device involving a plurality of parallel contiguous glass bars or rods disposed between front and rear glass plates, with these glass rods being known as canes. A neon tube is disposed behind the glass bar array. A sign carrying a desired message is obtained by designing portions of Allison's front plate to be opaque and other portions to be pervious to light. The patentee mentions that a fiery red color may be obtained by the use of neon, but that the color may be varied by providing tubes filled with other gases; by the use of colored glass rods or canes; or by the use of colored glass in either front or the rear plate. Allison is obviously entirely silent as to the configuring a plurality of neon light tubes into various shapes, in order that particular portions of selected artwork can be illuminated by a neon tube of chosen color.
In addition to the prior patented art, a commercialized sign using neon exists which is sold under the name "New Neon." However, the latter sign differs in many ways from the present invention. The commercial art requires a special stocked face and thus it would not be usable to display famous artwork, lithographs and posters. Furthermore, the sign being displayed is external to the box and thus, not protected from the elements, which is necessary in order to preserve artwork. Thus, the current commercialized art is considerably different in structure and thus, could not be utilized in a manner as can the present invention.
The present invention solves the above problems in a highly advantageous manner, and provides objects summarized and described in detail hereinafter.